An Interview With Emily Glass
Emily Glass is the President and CEO of Syncro. They’re an all-in-one RMM, PSA and remote access tool that helps managed service providers – MSPs – run more profitable businesses. Emily describes Syncro as a human business.
Managing a Remote Team in a Human Business
Emily explains that Syncro has operated remotely since 2017. So, when she took over as CEO, the employees were already used to it. “A lot of businesses struggled to adapt to remote-only working unexpectedly during the pandemic. We were lucky.”
However, she goes on to say that it’s important to put in effort to connect with people. As there are fewer face-to-face meetings, you have to work to get to know people. “You have to get to know them without focusing only on work. We have a weekly ‘all hands’, which allows us to connect, communicate and showcase projects.”
Why a Combined PSA/RMM is Good for MSPs
A combined PSA (professional services automation) and RMM (remote monitoring and management) serves as the hub of an MSP’s operations. It allows effective monitoring of client servers and better communication.
Emily adds: “When the RMM and PSA are closely connected, you can automate more workflows and remediations. You can also automate some client interactions and save time. And there’s a single UI, so your team can get up to speed faster.”
Syncro’s Philosophy on PSA Integration
Syncro are an open ecosystem, offering a lot of integrations. They also integrate with other vendors, to better support tools and functionality they don’t provide natively.
And, by acknowledging that they can’t be experts in everything, they can offer MSPs a complete, reliable platform by partnering with those who are experts. “We know that that’s how we give our clients and partners the best solution.”
Emily explains that they offer two different payment options, but each includes remote access, unlimited endpoints and full functionality and integrations. The free trial gives access to everything straight away.
[Not entirely sure what a PSA is? This article might help!]
How Syncro Helps MSPs Grow Their Businesses
In order to support MSPs effectively, Emily says Syncro has to understand their challenges and what it’s like to run an MSP. “Fortunately, Syncro has a number of people on the team who have either run an MSP or worked in one.
“We invite our partners to our weekly town halls. And the aim isn’t to talk about Syncro, but to connect with them and learn about their business aspirations. But we want to know about their personal lives too, so we can be a trusted partner and support their journey.”
Why Syncro Focuses on Being a Human Business
Syncro has been a human business since its foundation, which continues to be reinforced in the company. The founders understood the tech challenges of running a small business.
“We had a very strong core and the founders identified with what it was like to be an MSP. That was built into the platform, culture and team from the outset. We work to invest in communities to support the MSPs’ customers too.”
Emily learned from Austin McCord, CEO of Datto. “He was a proponent of a philosophy of transparency. I learned from him how to speak to partners; to be fair and transparent, and lead from the front as he did.”
How to Fully Support a Human Business Remote Team
Emily explains that Syncro have good benefits and offer outreach and training. Second, their weekly ‘all hands’ help staff feel engaged. Third, they do a quarterly NPS survey.
However, one big difference is the monthly wellness day. “Everybody in the company has this day off, and it’s separate to their holiday leave. Everyone has a break, and there’s no emails waiting for them when they get back. This has been really popular.”
Finally, Emily allows all employees to submit anonymous questions. Because not everyone feels comfortable speaking up in meetings, this lets them have their questions answered. There are no repercussions, and holds Emily, as the CEO, accountable. It’s rarely used, but everyone knows the option’s there.
How to Connect With Emily Glass
- Syncro
- Email Emily
- Follow Syncro on Twitter
- Like Syncro on Facebook
- Follow Syncro on LinkedIn
How to Connect With Me
- Subscribe to TubbTalk RSS feed
- Subscribe, rate and review TubbTalk in iTunes
- Subscribe, rate and review TubbTalk on Stitcher Radio
- Subscribe and rate TubbTalk on Spotify
- Follow TubbTalk on iHeartRadio
- Follow @tubblog on Twitter
Mentioned in This Episode
- RMM & PSA tool: Datto (now part of Kaseya)
- Automated backup: Backupify
- Cloud services tool: Akamai
- Video communication platform: Brightcove
- Meditation app: Headspace
- Casana CEO and Emily’s mentor: Austin McChord
- American businesswomand and Emily’s mentor: Ursula Burns
You Might Also be Interested in
- Which Business Processes can you Automate Today?
- Podcast: Want Powerful Next-Gen Monitoring for Your MSP?
- Why Network Monitoring for MSPs is a Strong Opportunity
Richard Tubb is one of the best-known experts within the global IT Managed Service Provider (MSP) community. He launched and sold his own MSP business before creating a leading MSP media and consultancy practice. Richard helps IT business owner’s take back control by freeing up their time and building a business that can run without them. He’s the author of the book “The IT Business Owner’s Survival Guide” and writer of the award-winning blog www.tubblog.co.uk
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